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Kharisiri
The Kharisiri is from the Kallawaya people of the Andes Mountains in Bolivia. They attack people who are drunk. They cut a hole in the body near the liver, then enter the body through this opening and eat their fat tissue. They sell the remaining body fat to hospitals and bishops. People with a Kharisiri inside them will act strangely and have a high fever. The hole near the liver can leave a scar. Chewing a cocoa leaf is a decent protective measure. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Kejōrō
The Kejōrō is a form of Yokai from Japan whose name means “hairy prostitute.” They live in brothels and red-light districts and target young men. They appear as women with their heads and bodies concealed by long black hair. Typically only the hair on their head grows unnaturally long, but sometimes they are entirely covered in hair. It is unclear whether they have normal human faces under their hair, deformed monstrous forms, or no face at all. Men approach them from behind and while they stand in shock when she reveals their monstrous appearance, the Kejōrō wraps him in her hair and slices him to pieces. They may sometimes cut…
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Kawelo
Kawelo is from Hawaiin mythology. He lived in Kauai, Hawaii near the Wailua River. There are three rocks where Kawelo was known to stay. The one on the land near the river is called the “Shark Stone,” which was his home on the left side of the river. The rock in the stream was his river home, and the rock at the mouth of the river was his ocean home. He would listen for people on canoes that were heading to the ocean to go fishing and then he’d greet them as they approached wishing them luck. Their fishing, however, would go poorly. They would catch nothing and be attacked…
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Kathakano
The Kathakano is an undead monster from Crete. They cause people to distrust smiling strangers since they pose as a happy stranger or happy drunk person. When someone approaches the smile gets larger and larger and reveals massive sharp teeth. They spit acidic blood at victims like a snake which causes immediate pain and blindness. It uses this opportunity to attack their victim and drain them of blood. They return to their graves during the day and can be killed during this time by digging up the body and performing an exorcism. They can also be stopped by driving thick stakes through the shoulders and thighs to pin the body…
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Kasai Rex
The Kasai Rex is a cryptid from Africa. It’s a bipedal predator similar to a tyrannosaurus. It has a black hide with red stripes and has supposedly been seen killing rhinos and hippos. There have been news stories in relation to this creature, but it is generally regarded as a hoax. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan, and Kramer, David F.. They Bite. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2009.
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Karkadann
The Karkadann is from Persian mythology. They have horse heads with short necks and no manes, large rust-colored bodies and cloven hooves. Their back legs are hairier and thicker than their front legs. They have large horns on their heads for impaling prey on which they then carry their victims away on. This horn can be used to detect poison. They are aggressive, predatory and incredibly fast and would sooner kill themselves than be captured, so they cannot be captured alive. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Kamikiri/Kamikiri-Mushi
The Kamikiri is an obscure form of Yokai from Japanese myth. The name Kamikiri means haircutter, and the name Kamikiri-Mushi means “hair cutting insect.” The name is very similar to the Japanese word “Kamakiri” which means mantis, often leading to a connection between the two. They had no witnesses but were still visualized and depicted in the Edo period. They have bird-like faces, pincer hands, and big eyes. They’re often depicted with the hair they cut off falling to the ground. Some believe they may be arthropods. They live in urban areas and are sometimes found near toilets and alleyways. They can quietly sneak into places and may hide under…
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Kamaitachi
The Kamaitachi is a form of Yokai from Japanese myth. Its name translates to “sickle weasel” and is often depicted as weasels holding tiny sickles. They work together in groups of three. The first Kamaitachi slashes at the victim to knock them down, the second one slashes the body before it even reaches the ground, and the third then magically heals the wound, spilling almost no blood. Attacks from the Kamaitachi often happen in swamps, and sometimes those who have been attacked will become incredibly sick and then die. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United…
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Kamaikaahui
Kamaikaahui was a person in Hawaiian myth. He was born in Maui as a rat, then he became several bananas, and then eventually he transformed into a man with a shark mouth on his back. To hide the shark mouth on his back, he always wore a cloth covering it. He kept the form of a man on land and took the form of a shark on the sea. He lived and farmed by the main road and would warn people of sharks as they would walk by going to the ocean. He would then take a shortcut and eat them in the form of a shark. People eventually start…
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Kalmykian Exploding Snake/Kalmykia’s Exploding Worm/Short Grey Snake/Exploding Enigma
The Kalmykian Exploding Snake is an extremely obscure cryptid. This creature is briefly mentioned in the book The Beasts That Hide From Man by Karl Shuker in a section talking about the Mongolian Death Worm. The account of this creature comes from a letter written to a cryptozoologist named Michel Raynal, from another cryptozoologist named Dr. Marie-Jeanne Koffmann on January 6, 1997. The accounts themselves were lost when Dr. Koffmann’s office was robbed. It’s described as a short grey snake, roughly 50 centimeters (20 inches) long and 15-20 centimeters (6-8 inches) in diameter. It has smooth skin, is rounded at the front of its body, and has a very short…
